Effectiveness of a new cardiac risk scoring model reclassified by QRS fragmentation as a predictor of postoperative cardiac event in patients with severe renal dysfunction

Background It is difficult to evaluate the risk of patients with severe renal dysfunction before surgery due to various limitations despite high postoperative cardiac events. This study aimed to investigate the value of a newly reclassified Revised Cardiac Risk Index (RCRI) that incorporates QRS fragmentation (fQRS) as a predictor of postoperative cardiac events in patients with severe renal dysfunction. Methods Among the patients with severe renal dysfunction, 256 consecutive patients who underwent both a nuclear stress test and noncardiac surgery were evaluated. We reclassified RCRI as fragmented RCRI (FRCRI) by integrating fQRS on electrocardiography. We defined postoperative major adverse cardiac event (MACE) as a composite of cardiac death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and pulmonary edema. Results Twenty-eight patients (10.9%) developed postoperative MACE, and this was significantly frequent in patients with myocardial perfusion defect (41.4% vs. 28.0%, p = 0.031). fQRS was observed 84 (32.8%) patients, and it was proven to be an independent predictor of postoperative MACE after adjusting for the RCRI (odds ratio 3.279, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.419–7.580, p = 0.005). Moreover, fQRS had an incremental prognostic value for the RCRI (chi-square = 7.8, p = 0.005), and to the combination of RCRI and age (chi-square = 9.1, p = 0.003). The area under curve for predicting postoperative MACE significantly increased from 0.612 for RCRI to 0.667 for FRCRI (p = 0.027) and 23 patients (32.4%) originally classified as RCRI 2 were reclassified as FRCRI 3. Conclusions A newly reclassified FRCRI that incorporates fQRS, is a valuable predictor of postoperative MACE in patients with severe renal dysfunction undergoing noncardiac surgery.

Outcome of Carotid Endarterectomy in a Tertiary Center of Nepal: A Retrospective Study

Introduction Carotid endarterectomy for carotid artery disease is one of the surgeries performed by vascular surgeons for carotid artery disease. The objective of this study is to describe the early and late outcome of the patient undergoing carotid endarterectomy and the association between the complication and comorbidities present previously in the patient. MethodsAll patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy at Manmohan Cardiothoracic Vascular and Transplant Centre between April 2010 to April 2020 were included. The follow-up data for upto a year from medical and clinical records, telephone interview regarding the immediate and late postoperative complications in patients with and without comorbidities were investigated and compared. ResultsThe total study population was 42 patients. Two patients (4.7%) developed stroke, one immediately in postoperative period and the other during follow up. There were two deaths (4.7%) postoperatively due to cardiac events and three (7.14%) recurrences of carotid stenosis among whom one (2.5%) developed late stroke. Twenty six patients (61.90%) were symptomatic prior to the procedure of which 20 patients (47.61%) had brain infarct. Overall one year survival was 95.2% post procedure and overall complication rate was 7.14%. The consequence in the form of death and stroke occurred more in the patients with comorbidities (3vs1) p=0.42. ConclusionThe immediate and late postoperative complications following carotid endarterectomy were death (4.7%), stroke (4.7%), cranial nerve injury (9.5%). The most frequent cause of death was postoperative cardiac event. Though major complications occurred more frequently in patients having comorbidities, it was statistically insignificant.